UD Students to Benefit from 16% Increase in Iowa Tuition Grants
Jul 14, 2015 | Kristi Lynch
Iowa-native students at the University of Dubuque, as well as other Iowa private colleges, will get a significant boost this upcoming academic year in a key financial aid program, the Iowa Tuition Grant (ITG). The ITG maximum grant has been increased to $5,300, an increase of 16% over last year.
Established by the Iowa General Assembly in 1970, the ITG was initiated as a cost-effective way to help Iowa students with financial need find the higher education experience best suited to their needs and talents. Iowa students can use the grant at any of Iowa’s private, non-profit colleges and universities. Last year, more than 14,000 Iowa students received the grant.
“This has been a much awaited move for Iowa families to have the Iowa legislature increase the Iowa Tuition Grant (ITG) by a significant percentage,” commented Tim Kremer, dean of student financial planning and scholarships. “For a new first-year student this coming fall, that means $21,630 over four years of college, that will be available to help off-set loans in paying for their education. In that respect, it truly is significant.”
To qualify, a student must be an Iowa resident, must attend an Iowa private, non-profit college or university, and must have financial need as demonstrated by federal Department of Education standards. The grant is provided directly to the student, not the institution, and must be matched by the institution. In fact, Iowa private, non-profit colleges and universities collectively provide almost $450 million in institutional financial aid.
“I think the Iowa Tuition Grant is a tremendous bargain for the State of Iowa,” said Gary Steinke, President of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (IAICU). “The ITG represents only about 1% of all state funding for education, but it provides access to college for thousands of Iowa students at great institutions that generate hundreds of millions in other financial aid, and it costs the state absolutely nothing for infrastructure like classrooms, dormitories and laboratories.”
High school students are encouraged to find out more about the ITG program during Iowa Private College Week, August 3-7. IAICU member colleges and universities synchronize campus tour schedules across the entire state during that week. To register for visits or for more information, go to IowaPrivateCollegeWeek.org
More information about the Iowa Tuition Grant program can also be found at the website of the Iowa College Student Aid Commission
